150 years of Cristal & the final iteration of the Vintage Brut Cuvee
Louis Roederer are masters of the Champagne art. Founded in 1776, they were very much ahead of the curve in acquiring their own vineyards in 1845. It was around that time that they also first bottled a single vintage Champagne, the forerunner of their superb Vintage Brut and then 30 years later, in 1876, they pioneered the clear lead crystal, flat bottomed bottle of the inimitable Cristal, for the ultra-sophisticated, yet extremely paranoid, Tsar Alexander II of Russia.
Cristal needs no introduction, but perhaps some fanfare is apt, given this is the 150th anniversary of the inaugural vintage. Following a volley of recently released and frankly wonderful 2018s, you will no doubt be aware that this voluminous, attractive, fruit forward and pliant vintage is the first in what is likely to become one of the great modern triumvirates of vintages. However, Roederer and their long-time chef de cave, Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon were wary of the heat that summer, so took some precautionary measures in its creation. They decided to increase the blend to 57 plots, up from the usual 45, adding more Chardonnay for freshness (hence why there is no 2018 Blanc de Blancs). They also did fewer oak ferments and racked and bottled more quickly after fermentation to avoid overt richness. These decisions have paid off handsomely, the result is generously proportioned, mineral and salty, silky and svelte but serious and complex with ample nerve and tensile fortitude. The fruit is plush, fresh and abundant, with a generous floral note, cherry and lemon verbena, ripe nectarines, apple and prickly pear. Salty, chalk laden and yeasty with bread dough and soy - an appropriately brilliant rendition of this great cuvee to mark its 150th birthday.
Moving on from Cristal, which is business as usual, this will sadly be the final iteration of the Vintage Brut cuvee as we know it. When they release the 2019 vintage next year, it will be as a new Blanc de Noirs, rather than the traditional blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, to complement the Blanc de Blancs in their reshaped portfolio. We are sure the 2019 Blanc de Noirs will be exceptional – most 2019s are – though we will miss the archetypal Roederer vintage. This lovely, classic wine, always delivers great persistence, power and energy, interlaced with delicacy and freshness.
The 2018 iteration is certainly a fitting farewell for this great blend. Bright and luminous, with Chardonnay from Chouilly and rich, opulent Pinot Noir from Verzy in the Montagne de Reims, it delivers dark yet ripe orchard fruit, cherry, blackcurrants, hedgerow berries and Amalfi lemon zest. Abundant mineral tones and salty notes are burnished with a little liquorice, nutmeg and freshly baked bread on the finish. This is stately and grand, departing the stage with both gravitas and elegance. Fans of this storied wine will want to have some 2018 in their cellars.
CRITIC NOTES
“The 2018 Cristal opens a new chapter for Roederer.?The Cristal estate is composed of 45 parcels. In better vintages, most of the 45 parcels are used for the blend. The 2018 vintage brought with it elevated ripeness and generally low acids. Longtime Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon was forced to cast his gaze wider, to look for parcels that offered a touch of freshness. Lécaillon expanded his palette to 57 parcels. The result is a Cristal unlike any other I have tasted. Orchard fruit, dried flowers, spice, chalk and herbs are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. Floral and savory overtones are quite distinctive. Lécaillon reduced oak ferments, racked very quickly after fermentation and used all his best Chardonnay lots for Cristal, so much so that there is no Blanc de Blancs. He bottled earlier than normal and chose a crown capsule with a liner that allows less oxygen transfer than the norm here. Taken together, those choices paid off handsomely. In tasting, the 2018 is positively stunning. Its linear energy and brilliance are a bit reminiscent of the 2014, but its flavor profile is completely different from any Cristal I can remember tasting. Dosage is 7 grams per liter.” 98+ Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com
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